The Sweet Life of Jimmy and Cassie
by angelinconflict
Summary: Season 2 of the Well Runneth Eternal Series invites a former threat, a changed Cas, and the infinite soul which demands Dean make a choice of either saving one human, specifically Jimmy's daughter, or preventing the death of millions.


Author's Note: So here it is, season 2 of the Well Runneth Eternal Series. I know it's been a while, but I hope those that are still interested check this out. I want to say thanks to everyone who's still reading and I appreciate any and all reviews so please do so :). I very much enjoy writing this series and I am very excited to share this new season with you. Again, I own none of the characters from Supernatural, and I invite all to sit, read, enjoy and review. Thanks.

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><p>Jimmy Novac, a radio ad Salesman from Pontiac Illinois, led an interesting life to say the least. To say that his life was complicated was an understatement. For one thing, he knew about the suspended apocalypse. This was not from radio announcements or the heavy warnings being blurted by the lunatics on the street; this was due to being an angel's vessel. Four years ago, he had learned that his entire blood line carried with it the potential to carry the essence of an angel. Castiel, the angel whom had taken him for a very bumpy ride, had asked permission and Jimmy accepted on the condition that Castiel kept his family safe. Jimmy's family consisted of his wife, Amelia and his daughter, Claire.<p>

Claire was now fifteen. After the impending doom of the apocalypse had come to an abrupt halt, and after he realized that even explosions could not take Castiel out, he decided that he would ask for a leave of absence to see his family. He missed his daughter and wife so bad that, before he could climb up the porch steps, he broke down in tears of joy. Both his wife and his daughter welcomed him in with open arms, having learned themselves that angels and demons were real.

The year previous, Jimmy could not really remember. He knew that Lucifer had been released from the cage, and that the angel, Michael would have to subdue him; he even knew that the extraordinary team of hunters by the names of Dean, Sam and Bobby assisted Castiel in his mission, but other than that, his memory was lost. Jimmy felt a strong connection between the hunter, Dean and Castiel, but thought nothing of it. Even he admitted to liking the headstrong angel.

Three months into his leave, and he was finally starting to relax. On the couch in the living room, he had his arm around the thin shoulders of his wife while they watched a series of reality shows. Amelia had her head rested against the chest of his t-shirt and was gripping his hand possessively. "Do I have to be concerned with losing you, again?" she asked

He tangled his fingers in her hair, and bent down to press a kiss on her forehead. "I wish I knew."

"Just tell Castiel… the angel, to choose someone else. That way, you can stay here with your family, maybe get back into a normal routine, and we can… be a family again."

Jimmy sighed wanting this more than anything else. "How about we just take this day by day and see what happens?" he suggested.

Amelia squeezed his fingers even tighter. "Fine," she murmured. "But you belong to me. Let Castiel know that."

"Of course, Aimes" Jimmy chuckled. "You're the love of my life."

"Damn right. And don't you ever forget it." With that, Amelia straightened, kissing her husband tenderly before getting to her feet. "I'm just going to check on Claire. She's been having it really rough at school ever since… Daniel broke up with her."

"Daniel," Jimmy growled under his breath. "Ugh! Why is she dating at her age? She's only fifteen! She should wait till she's at least…"

"Eighteen," Amelia supplied with a soft smile.

"I was gonna say forty," Jimmy corrected.

"Jimmy," Amelia sighed. "We met when I was fifteen or don't you remember?"

"I do, but that was different."

"How so?" she laughed crossing her arms.

"Well, for one, you were not my fifteen year-old daughter!"

Amelia admonished him gently before heading up the stairs to see to her daughter. This house, though still in Pontiac, was different, located on the opposite side of the city with two floors and an unfinished basement; Jimmy was tending to that problem personally. He liked being able to use his hands again doing odd jobs around the house.

A commercial for IPOD software blipped across the screen, informing Jimmy that it was time to get a coffee and decided to also make Amelia some tea, but a wretched scream sent the tea cup crashing to the floor as he bolted through the house, up the stairs and straight to Amelia who was frantically searching Claire's empty room.

"Aimes, what happened?" Jimmy gasped, but it didn't take long for him to see that the window had been pried open. "Oh my god…"

"Where is she?" she whimpered

"I don't know," he admitted in a choke. "Aimes…"

"She said she was going to be doing homework all night," Amelia said. Both noticed the soft gossamer curtains swaying lightly.

"She has her cell phone. Give her a call," he suggested, but when Amelia just stood there, a look of terror on her face, he tugged his phone out of his pocket and thrust it into her shaky hands. "Amelia!"

She gazed down at the cell phone. "What if…"

"Call her, Amelia. There's no point in panicking. She's a teenager and there's a chance she snuck out so please…"

She nodded, composing herself enough to dial Claire's number. Jimmy made his way to the window, but upon sight of it, he knew this was not a rebellious teenager sneaking out of the house. There was no sign that the window had been opened at all. The curtains swayed due to the heat that had come on, sending waves of air upward. This was a kidnapping, and not only was it a kidnapping; it was probably a demonic one.

He turned in response to a familiar ring tone: his daughter's favourite Lady Gaga song, Edge of Glory was playing, but the sound was muffled. He threw back the blankets on her neatly made bed and found the cell phone lying there.

His wife's voice had gone from panicked to demanding. "Call him, Jimmy!" He knew she meant Castiel.

Jimmy gathered his daughter's cell phone, clutching it in one hand just as he heard the message coming from his own cell phone. "Happy go lucky Claire! No hurt here! Leave a message when you hear the…" Upon hearing Claire's voice, so upbeat, he knew that calling the angel was his only option. The elongated beep caused Jimmy to sink down onto the bed.

Amelia came around to grab his arms, her demand fiercer than the first time. "Call him, Jimmy! Tell him that if anything happens to her, I will hold him personally responsible."

He bowed his head for the first time in three months, and prayed...

Dean rolled out from beneath his Impala after installing a healthy new engine among several other things. This was Dean's way of apologizing to her for the events that had occurred a little more than three months ago. He was washing her just as Sam escaped the house, stopping upon sight of his brother. "I don't think she could ever hate you, Dean," he remarked with a grin.

"You have no idea, Sammy. Cars feel a lot more than you would think, and after… what happened to her, what I let happen to her, I have to make it up."

Sam walked over with a gaze of suspicion and pursed lips. "So… what exactly happened again?"

Dean kept his eyes down as he began polishing the hood. "Uh… I told you, didn't I? A couple douchebags attacked her while I was in the bar."

"Last week, you said three," Sam said, crossing his arms.

"Three?" Dean mumbled.

"Three… douchebags," Sam supplied. "Was it three?"

Dean shook his head. "No… I remember it now, there were two, just one guy looked really shady, you know? That's probably why I said three before."

Sam responded with a "hmm" before nodding. "I see. And you were definitely in the bar, no question?"

"Yes."

"And you're sure about that?"

"Yeah, dude, yeah, I'm sure!" Dean stormed, lifting his head up to glare at his prying brother.

"Okay… because last week, you said you were running."

"No, I didn't," Dean muttered.

"Yeah, you did, Dean. You said you parked the car on the side of the road and decided to go for a run."

Dean patted the Impala gently before approaching Sam. "I decided to take a run before going to the bar."

"You never went to the bar," Sam stated firmly.

"What? Yes I…"

"No, you didn't, and you weren't running, so… what exactly happened three months ago?"

"I told you," Dean snapped in frustration.

"Look, you came in, but you didn't stink of sweat or alcohol so there goes both your alibis, so just tell me what the hell happened, Dean?"

Dean tossed the sponge in the bucket of water he was using and pushed past his brother back to the house. "You don't wanna believe me? That's your prerogative!

"Dean," Sam called, chasing after him. "Come on, Dean! Just tell me!"

"No," Dean stormed, rounding on Sam now. "I told ya what happened and I'm stickin to it, so stop asking!"

Sam blew out a raspberry as he followed Dean to the kitchen. "Something happened with Cas," he guessed.

"No," Dean grumbled.

"Dean!"

"Sam!" Dean's voice had taken on a fiery and dangerous tone when he faced his brother this time. Sam held his hands up.

"Fine, I'm backin off." He stepped back from the furious hunter, hands still raised. "There, that better?"

"Not even friggin close," Dean replied, grabbing a tumbler to fill it full with Whisky. He would never admit it to Sam, but not seeing Castiel for three months and counting was really wearing on him. He sent thoughts to Castiel, and received a few back, but for the most part, the angel had gone on leave. He sank down in one of the chairs and sipped his drink. Sam hadn't said a word, but he did sit in the chair across from him, stealing a bit of Whisky from the bottle as well and pouring it into another tumbler.

"He's been gone a long time," Sam said, taking a long gulp of his drink with innocent eyes focused on Dean over the rim of the tumbler.

"He's an archangel, Sam. He's probably busy doin… archangel stuff."

"I know, I'm just sayin it's been a while."

Dean sighed. "Yeah…"

After a long silence had swallowed the remnants of their conversation, Sam asked "So are you ever gonna tell…"

"No," Dean replied, taking a bigger gulp and swallowing it down hard over the lump that had formed in his throat. He concluded that this, long-distance whatever this was, sucked. The connection was getting stronger indicated by his ability to understand and even speak the language of the angels. He wasn't sure if he was fluent, yet, but he was picking it up fast. The high pitched screeching was now translated into words of comfort to convince him that Castiel was well and that he needn't worry so much. He finished the last of his whiskey and stood, glancing down at his brother.

"I need to hunt something," he muttered. "What do we got for jobs?"

"Nothing," Sam replied, pulling his tablet across the table till it was in front of him.

The door opened to the shock of both Dean and Sam who readied themselves for a fight; Dean welcomed one. However, no monster or demon stalked over the threshold. Instead, a ravishingly beautiful woman with long jet black hair and smouldering blue eyes, wearing tight blue jeans and a wine red tank top that criss-crossed in the back with a plunging neck line in the front, stepped in, taking long strides right past Sam to approach Dean.

"Hello, Dean," the woman greeted in a low and raspy voice.

"Who are you, and how do you… know me?" Dean gasped, stepping back from her.

"Why shouldn't I know you?" she asked with a head tilt that was at once familiar. Several black strands slipped away from her ear to reveal a silver hoop dangling from her lobe.

"Cas?" he whispered.

She nodded. "Yes."

Dean lifted his eyes from the nearly exposed cleavage. "You look uh… different," he admitted almost sarcastically.

"Hot," Sam supplied in a hiss of approval.

Dean shot a cold hard stare at his brother who shrugged as a rejoinder and mouthed, "What?"

Castiel glanced over at Sam briefly before explaining. "Yes, well, there are reasons for my transfer of vessels, Sam. This… is Jimmy's cousin, very devout and very glad to learn that she could be of some help to me for a while."

Dean nodded, glancing over at Sam who was staring intensely at Castiel's new vessel. "Stop it, Sam," Dean hissed at him.

Sam pulled his head up, pressing a hand to his forehead.

Castiel was the next one to glance down at the new form, confusion marring her peaches and cream complexion. "I do not understand this: Two thousand years observing humans, helping humans only to learn that they wear very uncomfortable garments for no good reason." Castiel tried to readjust the tank top she was wearing, but she still looked pained by it. When Dean was almost certain that Castiel was about to strip right there in front of them, he pulled the frustrated angel through to Bobby's bedroom, saying to Sam "excuse us," before closing the door.

Holding his back to the door, he glared at the angel. "You can't just… do that," Dean scolded, keeping his eyes rooted to her face as a way to keep them from straying downward.

"What?" Castiel said, tearing the shirt over her head now. "How do humans stand it?"

Dean turned to face the door just in time. "They get by, Cas," Dean said then jumped a little when the tank top landed on his shoulder. With a pinched expression, he plucked the garment off him to toss it aside, "Why the hell you ridin' Jimmy's cousin, anyway? Did you just need a change of scenery or something?"

"No," Castiel replied, fighting with the tank top.

"Well then why?"

"After what happened three months ago, Jimmy called on me to release him. I did so with the warning that I would call on him when it was time. Unfortunately, I received an unexpected call from him a few hours ago."

Castiel was obviously preoccupied with something because Dean had to coax the rest out of her with an impatient "And?"

Her voice was sombre when she spoke, however, "His daughter has been taken."

Dean let out a breath of air. "So Jimmy is hangin solo for a bit while you go scout it out?"

"Yes…" Castiel let out a breath of relief. "That is much better. You can turn around now."

Dean forced back a nervous laugh. "No, I can't, man."

"Why?"

"Because you're indecent! Just… put the shirt back on and…"

"I can't," Castiel cut in. "It's tight, it's uncomfortable, and to be honest, I wouldn't know where to begin."

"All you do is pull it over your head and hope for the best," Dean muttered, staring so hard at the door, he was sure he would start peeling the paint.

"Can you… help?"

"No," Dean choked on a laugh.

"But you know…"

"No, I don't know, Cas. I'm a dude and dudes do not wear shirts like that!"

Castiel sighed helplessly. "Is there another way you could… help me then?"

Dean kept a hand shielded over his eyes as he shuffled past the angel to Bobby's closet, snatching the first shirt he could find off one of the wire hangers. He was handing Castiel a lumberjack shirt, courtesy of Bobby's fashion sense. He leaned as far forward as he could, extended his arm as far as it would go, and with the shirt pinched in his fingers and his other hand remaining as a visor for his eyes, he cleared his throat and muttered "Here."

Thin, smooth fingers brushed his skin as Castiel slipped the shirt from him. He straightened, but his heart was now pounding so hard, he could feel it in his throat.

"Thank you, Dean," she murmured in gratitude.

"Whatever, man, just… let me know when you're… decent."

After Dean spent several long moments breathing in and out, in and out, Castiel finally announced, "I'm decent."

Dean exhaled his last intake of breath and turned around. "Did you come lookin for help?"

"Yes," Castiel admitted, fumbling with the button on the collar. "You and Sam are… the experts." Castiel stopped speaking because Dean had started straightening her collar. "Dean?"

He stepped back. "Sorry. Just… just leave the button, Cas."

"Well… will you help?"

"When have we ever said no?" Dean snapped, insulted that Castiel would even bother to ask that.

"You have been taking a break for a while now. I didn't want to spoil it."

"You're not," Dean said. "Sam and I are getting restless doin nothin' except annoying the hell out of Bobby."

Castiel's eyes narrowed. "Where is Bobby?"

"Staying with a hunter friend. He said he needed some time away from us, called us both idjits, and just took off."

Castiel's expression remained steadily calm. "I am sorry, Dean. I'm sure he meant nothing by it."

"It's fine. To be honest, his questions about what happened three months ago were kind of getting on my nerves, anyway."

Dean wasn't sure what had compelled him to even bring up the events of the three months prior, but now they were there, hanging like a stagnant stench in the air between them. "You lied, I suppose," she guessed.

"Yeah, Cas, I lied. I have to lie because it's still too complicated to say out loud, never mind talk about with Sam or Bobby."

Castiel's long dark lashes fluttered. "There was nothing to understand, Dean."

"This, coming from an angel," Dean muttered.

"Let me do what I was going to do before you stopped me. You will have no more memories and the questions will no longer haunt you."

Dean shook his head. "You're not doin that, Cas, so stop bringin it up!"

She put herself between him and the door. "I will make it quick. You will feel nothing and you will wake up without the urge to drown yourself in alcohol." She was gazing at him now, pleading with him with those gorgeous blue eyes. "Please, Dean…"

"I'm not drowning myself in alcohol," he argued.

"I see what I see," she whispered.

"You lurk?"

"No, but I can read your thoughts still, and alcohol is always there…"

"Something else is always there, too. You missed that?"

"Dean…"

"_You_ are always there, Cas, always, and the more you bug me to let you wipe the memories, the more pissed I get that you want them gone!"

Castiel's shoulders fell. "That was never my intention," she choked. "I just… want you to live a normal life. I want you to stop suffering…"

Dean eased himself back, pressing a hand to his forehead. "I'm not suffering," he whispered, "I might be frustrated and confused and everything in between, but I'm not suffering."

Castiel lifted her eyes to the ceiling. "Why do humans wear things like this? Whatever has been applied to my eyelids is now seeping into my eyes."

"It's makeup, and women wear it to make themselves feel… good, I guess," Dean explained, grabbing several tissues from the box on a small makeshift table next to Bobby's created out of an old milk crate. "Here, Cas, these will help," he offered.

Castiel slipped the tissues from Dean's fingers to rub hard against her eyes.

"Holy crap, Cas! Could you be a little more insensitive?" He snatched the tissues from the angel to dab gently against each of her eyes. "So, is Jimmy makin a house call?"

"He should be here soon," Castiel replied. "That… makeup… is in my eyes," she whimpered.

"Stay still, man," Dean ordered.

"I don't like this vessel! I feel like every part of me is aching. My stomach feels like it's trying to escape my mouth… and I… I'm always… sad. I liked Jimmy. I understood Jimmy, but Audrey?" Dean went to her and led her by the arm to the edge of the bed, coaxing her down. She sat and blinked fiercely.

"We need to flush your eyes out, Cas," he insisted.

"They're burning," she whimpered. Dean realized as he dabbed at her cheeks and beneath her eyes, that it wasn't makeup causing her eyes to burn; it was a fresh batch of tears. The angel was crying. He continued working on the streaking makeup, but the lump in his throat had gotten larger threatening to constrict his speech. "Is Jimmy's cousin depressed?"

"Depressed?" Castiel repeated, confusion in her raspy voice.

"It's just… ongoing sadness that doesn't let up until you swallow a dozen Prozac," he explained then added to her inquisitive stare, "uh… happy pills."

"Oh," Castiel replied. "Well… I think I… broke up with someone recently. I thought it was going to work out, but then he… was just using me for… sex. Can that possibly result in… this depression?"

Dean snorted out a laugh. "Sounds like the common cause," he answered never imagining he would ever hear the angel utter something like this.

"Jimmy was… happy, I guess," Castiel muttered.

"Either that, or he was drugged. He doesn't exactly lead a normal apple pie life. He nearly lost everything when those douchebag brothers of yours sucked you back up to Heaven. He would've died if Sam and I hadn't found him, and now he's in hiding because his entire family is in danger."

"He probably needs some… Prozac," the angel said, "But despite what you might think, I have been true to my word about keeping his family safe. I act as their guardians."

"I think you missed a spot," Dean remarked not meaning for that to come out as harsh as it did.

"I safeguarded their new house. I _found_ their new house. No demon or angel could have gotten in without my knowledge."

"Are we looking at… I dunno… a Purgatory native maybe? Some monster you might have pissed off when you tossed 'em all back? Maybe one that slipped off the leash and is now roamin around somewhere?"

The look on Castiel's face unnerved Dean. He was used to the indifferent looks that came with Jimmy's vessel, but this one—she wore human emotions on her sleeve. Her blue eyes were glistening with the horrible realization that she might have been the cause of Claire's kidnapping; worse still, Dean had just brought up a moment, both had been furiously trying to avoid because it brought up memories of distrust and betrayal. He gazed down at her now wringing hands and exhaled heavily before clamping his own around them. "Cas," he started in an attempt to be soothing, "Look, we'll figure this out, alright? Just don't… cry."

"It's happening again, isn't it?" she asked in a sombre tone.

"Yep."

Castiel lifted a hand to clear the black tears from her cheeks while Dean cleaned up the streaks with another tissue.

"So, where do we start in searching for Jimmy's daughter?" He asked, wanting to get down to business because being tender wasn't his strong suit.

Castiel's eyes closed as Dean continued to work, taking his time and being careful in his handling of this new vessel's flawless skin. She spoke in a voice somewhat resembling that of the Castiel he knew. "I have searched for her, but I am receiving no signs at all. It is like she has vanished."

"Who has the kind of mojo to swing something like this?"

"I can think of no one," she admitted.

Dean finished cleaning her up and tossed the now black tissues into a wastebasket next to the crate. He stood only to feel those soft fingers curl around one of his hands. "We'll um…" he gulped unable to look directly at the angel. He couldn't deny that her attempt at holding his hand brought on a rush of pleasant warmth. The feeling was similar to that of the whiskey he downed—better. "We'll find this dick, whoever or whatever it is, and send his ass packing. I'll get Sam to do some research. Maybe there's something in one of Bobby's books. There probably is. He's got enough of them. Jesus, he's a freakin hoarder!" He was babbling. He never babbled. He was always pretty good with his words, but Castiel was gripping his hand. His mouth had gone dry and his heart was thumping hard against his ribcage. He was waiting for it to break out.

She let go of his hand, nodded to his suggestion, obviously having discounted his babbling. "I will tell Jimmy the plan."

"Good," Dean said, feeling a smile ripple across his face.

"I have to find her, Dean. If something happens…then I am solely responsible!"

"You will," Dean asserted in a tone of reassurance. "Once Sam and I have checked things out, we'll bring this mother down before anything can happen to Claire. We've got your back, just… trust us."

Castiel nodded, pressing a hand to her mouth. It was a strange reaction, but then so was the one that immediately followed—she bolted for the door, flinging it open and racing out. He chased after her to find her in the bathroom standing over the toilet. Before he had a chance to ask if she was alright, she started heaving loudly. Dean made a sound of disgust before pulling the door closed. "Jesus, Cas, what the hell?" he muttered. The heaving seemed to go on forever until he heard the sound of the toilet flushing followed by running water. He knocked on the door. "You do survey your vessels before you take them, right?" he asked, leaning back with an arm across his forehead.

Her voice was cracked and strained. "Why would I survey my vessels, Dean?"

"I dunno… maybe to find out if they can… handle you? You know how it goes: Have you been sick recently? Are you carrying any life threatening illnesses? Are you pregnant?" The running water ceased immediately and the door opened to reveal a pale angel, balancing on the points of her heels unsteadily.

"She's pregnant, Dean," she finally admitted, "I didn't think I would be affected by it, but apparently, I have no sway over her mischievous child."

Dean decided that his best course of action was to help Castiel to the couch and keep her there for a while. "You want a blanket?" Dean asked, pressing a hand to the angel's clammy forehead.

"That sounds… yes," Castiel replied.

In that same moment, Sam emerged to see Castiel lying there, hand on her stomach, grimacing with the threat of another round of vomiting. "Cas?" he murmured in a gentler tone than he had ever used with the angel.

"I'm pregnant, Sam," Castiel explained.

Sam glanced up at Dean, hiding a smirk as he commented, "Wow! That was fast! You two were only in there for a half hour."

"The _vessel_ is pregnant, you idiot," Dean snapped, anger bubbling up into his face as he spread a light fleece over the angel's form.

Castiel was obviously not listening, too focused on her issues to acknowledge anyone else's.

Sam was laughing. "It was a joke."

"You're a joke," Dean retorted, heading to the bathroom to wet a cloth for Castiel. When Dean returned he saw that she was sitting up and gazing at a familiar figure. Balthazar was giggling hysterically.

"Wow, Cassie, I didn't recognize you with that impressive rack."

"What are you doing here?" the ill angel moaned. Dean approached to place the damp cloth on her forehead. Before he could react, she grabbed his hand a second time, clutching tight around his fingers. The result was the same as the first time she had done this.

Balthazar watched with curious eyes before clearing his throat and declaring "I'm here to see you, bestie! I've been eave's dropping a bit, and I heard that you might need some assistance tracking down a… what is it?"

"We don't… know," Castiel replied, letting out a breath and tightening her grip around Dean's hand. He patted her hand gently, but now he had Balthazar and Sam focussing their gazes on him and Castiel.

Balthazar continued to giggle. "Cassie, sweetie, what's wrong?"

"I'm… pregnant," the angel replied, sending wearied eyes to Balthazar's face.

Dean really should have seen the next comment coming. "Well, there goes your future! Of course I have no idea why you didn't listen to me when I told you to play it safe. I have to admit, Cassie, I'm extremely disappointed in you right now."

Castiel groaned. "It's the vessel!"

"Sure, sure," Balthazar said, smothering a laugh. "Always blamin it on the vessel."

"Balthazar," Dean started, after sending the chuckling Sam a murderous glare, "shut up!"

Castiel handed the cloth to Dean, stood abruptly, and without a word to anyone including Dean, she vanished.

"Aw, Cassie, I was just joking!" Balthazar called.

Dean glared at Balthazar before attempting to call Castiel back. She didn't return, but her thoughts moved through his brain fluidly.

_Jimmy is reluctant to come. He does not trust Sam or… you, and he does not think you will be of much help in finding Claire._

_Great… so now what?_

_I'm convincing him otherwise. That is why I left so suddenly. _

_How's your… stomach? You still feeling like you might puke out the rest of it?_

_I'm fine, Dean. Tell Sam to try and find anything that might help us track down… whatever it is that kidnapped Claire. _

_We're on it, Cas._

Dean was put ill at ease by the combined stares of both Sam and Balthazar. Without any warning, Balthazar crossed into Dean's personal space and hugged him announcing excitedly, "You're gonna be a father! You should be so proud! A round of cigars for everyone, eh! Let's get this party started!"

Dean practically had to throw the angel off him, growling "Get off me!"

"Touchy, touchy," Balthazar remarked.

"He's always like that," Sam said with a smirk.

"I noticed. This boy does not like being touched." He reached a hand out and Dean instantly knocked it away with a closed fist and a murderous glare. "Cassie has her work cut out for her- him."

"You know what," Dean started, reaching for the Colt on his belt. He decided that because he had been named the infinite soul that he might want to arm himself a bit better. "If you're here to help us, then help us, but if not…" he aimed the Colt at the angel, "Get the hell out!"

Balthazar smirked. "Awe, honey, that's adorable, but man-made weapons can't kill me."

"Maybe not, but if I shoot you right between the eyes, it will sting like a bitch! And if you don't believe me, ask your buddy Lucifer."

Balthazar let out a whistle of air. "Oh fine. You wanna be all… sensitive about it? I won't say another word about you and Cassie. Just put the weapon away, and let's be civil."

Dean lowered the Colt, returning it to his belt. "We have a problem," he stated firmly, looking at Sam.

"What's that?" Sam asked, having left his smile behind to adopt a more serious demeanour.

"Jimmy doesn't trust us. Cas is going to talk to him, but asked that we find out what or who can get through angel defence.

"Archangel defence, boys," Balthazar corrected, "and not a whole hell of a lot besides Lucifer."

"Lucifer's down in the pit, though," Sam muttered. "Chances of him getting out of there anytime soon are slim to none."

"What else then?" demanded Dean before casting a glance to his brother, "Sam, can you do a search?"

"Yeah, of course." He began typing furiously into the search engine bar on the tablet's screen when Balthazar spoke.

"Look, it's very possible that we are dealing with a devil's spawn."

Dean felt his stomach drop. He remembered only one referred to by that name—a more accurate name, however, according to Castiel, was the anti-christ. "Jessie," he breathed.

"Jessie?" Sam repeated, stopping his search to gaze in the direction of his brother. "Who's…"

"You remember him, Sam? Kid who uprooted reality and made all those kids pranks fatal. His mother was human. He turned Cas into a toy."

Sam's eyes lit up with the memory recall. "Oh yeah! Jessie!"

"Who's Jessie?" Balthazar asked curiously, "and what exactly happened?"

"It's a long story, one that would take too long to tell, so here's the cliff's notes version: Jessie's mother was impregnated by a demon, Jessie was born nine months later, given away, started making trouble, Sam, Cas and I hunted him down only to find that he was more human than demon and just wanted to be a kid. He refused to be a part of the apocalypse and took off somewhere—possibly Australia, but that is just a guess."

"And now… he's back," Sam added.

"Why would he want Jimmy's daughter? She's just a human," Balthazar muttered in confusion.

"Because Jimmy's blood line is similar to mine and Sam's," Dean explained, "And what better way to piss off an angel than by attacking the vessel?"

"Why Cas's vessel?"

"Because Cas is the big ticket, Balthazar," Dean explained. "And because every monster eventually gets power hungry and craves unlimited power!"

Balthazar nodded. "You think this is about the infinite soul… I see, I see."

"Everybody knows about it so it's not like we can just eliminate the possibility," Dean replied.

"All you need is a scar in the shape of a lightning bolt on your forehead," Balthazar remarked.

"Bite me," Dean snapped.

"I bite you, and Cassie will have my head so let's not make those kinds of threats, shall we?"

"Okay…" Sam started, arms folded on the table, "so now we think we know who's behind the abduction, what do we do now? It's not like we have any access to Jessie, especially since he's ten times stronger than any angel."

Dean cleared his throat. "We need to bring his ass here, so…let's bring his ass here."

"How?" Balthazar and Sam spoke at the same time. Both looked at each other surprised by the synchronicity of their thoughts.

"You ain't gonna like it, Sammy."

"Probably not, but tell me anyway."

"We use my soul… as bait."

"I love it! Pure genius," Balthazar declared, pointing at Dean.

Sam, however, made his response to Dean's plan very clear. "No!"

"Sammy," Dean tried to appeal, but Sam refused to budge.

"Hell no! Do you need me to go into all the reasons why not? Do you want me to call Cas and ask his—her opinion?"

"You're not calling Cas," Dean snapped.

"And you're not using your soul as bait, Dean! You almost lost in your war with Michael, so what makes you think you stand a chance against Jessie?"

A knock on the door interrupted the argument and both Sam and Dean stalked towards it. Dean pulled the Colt free of his belt and positioned himself against the wall, facing the entrance. "Who's there?" Sam called, hand on the door knob.

Dean relaxed instantly, putting the Colt away without explaining to Sam. "Open the door, Sam," he insisted.

"What…"

"It's Cas… and Jimmy," Dean finally explained. Sam could only assume that either Castiel and Dean had been thinking at each other again, or that Dean felt Castiel's presence. Either way, this connection bothered Sam. He opened the door to find Castiel and Jimmy standing there. Even in female form, Castiel still stood very stiffly as though she had been tied to a stick.

"Hello, Sam," she greeted, stepping past him.

Jimmy followed but he didn't say hello; he said nothing. As Castiel walked, she swayed from side to side in mesmerizing movements on strappy sandals that clicked on the floor. Sam felt his gaze linger, impressed with how the jeans fit so snugly, so perfectly as though they had been designed especially for her. He only snapped out of it when his arm began throbbing. Dean was there next to him, glowering. "Eyes up," Dean ordered.

Sam grabbed his arm instinctively, frowning at his brother. "Geez, seriously, dude?"

"Seriously," Dean growled. "Eyes up!"

"You sayin I can't even look?"

"I'm sayin you can't even _think_ about lookin!"

"Technically, Dean, I'm just looking at Jimmy's cousin," Sam defended.

"Fine, when Cas leaves, look all the hell you want, but for right now—you look again, and I'll kick your ass!"

The look in Dean's eyes was genuine. He really would follow through with his threat. "Fine," he mumbled.

"Good." With that, the two of them approached the bigger group. Jimmy sat with his head in his hands while Balthazar complimented Castiel on her walk.

"I'm serious, Cassie. Even Sam was staring."

Sam blushed bright red and shook his head emphatically. "Nope, I wasn't… staring. I was just… wondering why you're wearing Bobby's shirt." He looked to Dean. "Not staring."

Castiel's eyes went to Dean immediately. "Tell me you found something that is even remotely helpful?"

Dean nodded. "We came to one conclusion, one you're not gonna like, Cas."

"What is it?"

"It's Jessie."

Castiel remembered faster than even Sam did. "Jessie? You mean the anti-Christ?"

"He's the only one with enough mojo to swing through the electric fence without gettin' zapped."

Jimmy's head lifted slowly. "You're joking, right? There's no such thing as the… anti-Christ," he gulped back a laugh.

"There is," Castiel murmured, pressing a hand on Jimmy's shoulder. "And he's much more powerful than any angel or demon."

"And this… powerful… whatever… has my daughter? Why?" Jimmy demanded.

"Because of me," Dean replied, stepping towards the distressed human sitting at Bobby's table, eyes glassy with tears.

"You?" Jimmy choked, shaking his head.

"I have something everyone wants. Look, I know that things went all to hell when Sam and I tried to help you the last time, but I am gonna save your daughter."

_Dean…_

Dean was forced to ignore Castiel's plea.

"How?" Jimmy asked.

"It doesn't matter; all that matters is that you let everyone here protect you while I do what I gotta do. He touched Castiel's sleeve. "Can you come with me a sec?"

She did as he asked, following him into the kitchen where he poured himself, and her, a drink from the half empty bottle. She stole both glasses from him to place on the counter behind her. "Dean, let me talk you out of this," she whispered.

"No," he responded. "If anything, I owe him this… at least."

"You don't owe him anything. This was my mistake, my broken promise, and I will fix it."

"How?" Dean stormed, then lowered his voice as he glanced through to the silent group. "How you gonna fix it, Cas? We both know that this is happening to Jimmy because of my crap soul! If this all comes down to a trade—I will do what I have to!"

"You'll die?" she snapped.

"How old is Jimmy's daughter?"

"Fifteen," Castiel replied.

"Then yeah… I'll die!"

"You're an idiot!"

"Fine, but this idiot needs you to help me call Jessie. We both know that's where this whole thing is headin anyway, let's just get it done on our terms instead of his!"

Castiel's features quivered as she glared furiously at him. "I will not help you hand over your life and your soul to such a threat as Jessie! You may think me cruel, but I will not put

the life of one girl ahead of millions!"

"Nothing's changed has it? It's always about that damn bigger picture for you! You still do not get the concept of family first!"

"Fine, how about I put this in terms that will be more preferable to you? If you do what you are planning on doing: Sam will die along with the many millions you are willing to sacrifice! Dean, get over yourself!"

"Cas… get out!" Dean shouted.

The angel raised her hands, turned her back and vanished in a rush of wings.

"Son of a bitch!" Dean burst with anger, thrusting a hard kick into the cupboards under the sink. The pots and pans that Bobby kept stacked in piles spilled out onto the floor at Dean's feet.

Sam was the first to respond to the noise. "Dean?" he called, stopping in the doorway. "Dean, where's Cas?"

"Gone," Dean snapped, staring down into the sink.

Sam approached him, placing a hand on his shoulder gently. "Look, it was just a fight, Dean. It happens, sometimes."

"You think I care?" Dean said, but there was a tear in his voice now. "Screw her or him or whatever! He doesn't wanna help? He thinks I'm an idiot? Then he can stay gone!" Dean lifted his head to face Sam. "You're on my side, right Sammy?"

"Always, Dean," Sam murmured. "But you might not have to throw yourself to the wolves. Balthazar, surprisingly, has a plan.

Sam walked his trembling brother to the library, sitting him down at the table. Balthazar took one look at the distraught hunter, opened his mouth to comment, but was immediately cut off.

"Not a good time, man," Sam said in discretion.

Balthazar closed his mouth. "Oh fine. I'll wait until this little lover's spat is resolved before I have my fun. Does that suit you better, Sam?"

"Yes," Sam replied. Dean had said nothing and that's when Sam realized that someone was missing from their group. "Uh… where's Jimmy?"

Balthazar pointed to the exit casually. "He received an important phone call and insisted he had to take it."

"Oh god," Sam gasped. He exchanged knowing looks with Dean before both of them raced out.

"Jimmy!" they called at the same time.

"I'll head around back," Dean said, pulling the Colt off his belt as he made his way around to the back of Bobby's house—more of a mess had been collected there than in the front. Dean was stepping over car parts and avoiding coiled snakes of wire. "Jimmy!" Dean yelled. "Hey!"

Sam's voice echoed to him. "Dean! Over here! I found him!"

Dean ran to find that Jimmy was sliding out of the front seat of the green mustang; a favourite thinking place for Castiel as well. "Jimmy?" Dean gasped, holstering the Colt now. "What the hell, man?"

"My wife called," Jimmy explained, ignoring Sam to stand on Dean's other side. "Look, please just tell me that you found something, anything to help save my daughter."

"We're doing what we can," Sam murmured.

"Do you know how useless that is to me? You may as well be cops for how much that statement actually helps."

Dean sighed. "This is big stuff, Jimmy. We're just trying to get our heads around it."

"Who has my daughter, and why are we just sitting here doing nothing if we know the answer?"

"Because the answer leads to a complication," Dean replied, walking Jimmy towards the house.

"That's exactly what Cas said, too. Complication," he snorted. "That's a great way to say 'I don't know'."

"Don't be too hard on Cas," Dean said, unable to swallow the words back. "He has been protecting your family just as he promised he would, but this… sonofabitch is a lot stronger than him, and is obviously harbouring some kind of grudge against him."

"Him?"

"Her, whatever. The point is… she's trying and we're trying, but if we give this bastard what he wants… a lot of people, not just your daughter, will die. There lies the friggin annoying complication!"

Jimmy paused. "So if you try to save Claire… you'll be sacrificing… how many?"

"A lot."

"How many?" Jimmy demanded, looking up.

"Probably… millions," Dean replied in the softest tone he could conjure at that moment.

Jimmy stared at him, fresh tears swimming in his eyes. "Oh god…"

"We're not giving up," Sam said from Jimmy's other side, pressing a hand to the man's shuddering shoulder. "We're trying to find another way, any other way."

Jimmy's voice was a broken shell when he spoke again. "I can't… let millions die… I love my daughter, but… I have to… I can't…" He sank against Dean unable to stop the flow of tears. Dean wrapped an arm around Jimmy's shoulders, and he and Sam helped the defeated father back to the house.

"Sam! Dean! Guess what?" Balthazar sang from the doorway, grinning widely.

"What?" Sam and Dean replied at the same time.

"We have a visitor! Come say hi!"

Jimmy's eyes dried as his pace quickened, taking the lead ahead of the hunters. All three were stalled in the doorway of the library as two figures of medium height turned to face them from the center of the room. "Daddy?" a voice choked upon sight of Jimmy. The figure with the small voice was a girl with light blond hair pulled back in a ponytail and eyes as blue as her father's. She stood in a white summer dress and sandals with the most innocent of expressions on her face, colouring her cheekbones pink.

He was trembling with relief. "Oh my god… baby…"

"I'm okay," she promised him. "Honest, you can tell Mom that."

Jimmy's eyes had swivelled to the figure standing next to his daughter—holding his daughter's hand tightly. "Daniel?" he gasped. Daniel was several inches taller than Claire with short brown hair and large brown eyes. His clothes consisted of the normal t-shirt and shorts, but this boy was anything but normal.

"Hi, Mister Novac," murmured the youth.

"What's going on?" he asked in complete confusion.

"Daddy," Claire started, lifting Daniel's hand to her chest. "I had to tell Mom that I broke up with him. She never would have approved. And you… the vessel of an angel, with your complicated life and your constant insistence that we could be attacked by demons at any time, I just couldn't tell you, either… you never would have understood."

Jimmy laughed. "But… Daniel's human, baby."

"He's not human," Dean corrected, stepping up alongside Jimmy. "And his name's not Daniel." Jimmy's eyes went immediately to Dean's face. "That boy is Jessie."

"Jessie? As in…"

"Exactly," Dean cut in.

"He's not evil, Daddy, it's just a label," Claire defended, stepping in front of Jessie protectively. "He fights evil… and I help him."

Jimmy cleared his throat, and closed his eyes briefly. "Fine, but you need to come home, now. Your mother is worried sick, and so was I! How could you just take off and not even leave us a message? We thought you were…"

"Daddy…I can't go with you," Claire murmured. "I turn sixteen in a month, and I've vowed to spend the rest of my life hunting with Jessie."

"Hunting?" Dean and Sam spoke at the same time.

Claire smiled upon sight of the hunters and tugged Jessie with her in order to greet them. "I remember you," she sighed. "You helped Dad once before. You two are… hunters, too, right?"

"Yeah," Sam replied, provoking only a nod from Dean.

"It's an honour," she murmured, holding her hand out to them. "You are infamous for your technique. Jessie also told me that you helped him as well. He would like to say…"

"Claire," Jessie cut in from behind her.

She smiled and stepped aside for Jessie to stand there next to her, gazing at the brothers. "I wanted to say that I'm sorry for ditching you before. You have to understand that I was terrified of everything that was going on."

"I thought you were hidin out in Australia," Dean pointed out, finally able to get some proper words out.

"I was for a while, but even a demon child has to be educated. I don't know what made me choose Pontiac, Illinois, but I'm glad I did." He tugged Claire into the circle of his one arm, bending his lips to her forehead. "I would be nothing without this girl," he admitted. Slowly, he turned to Jimmy. "Mr. Novac, I want to apologize for all of this. I love your daughter, and I will keep her safe, but if you and Mrs. Novac can't part with her, then I will convince her despite argument to return to you."

Claire appealed to Jimmy with pleading in her eyes. "Don't take me from him, daddy," she whimpered.

Jimmy's eyes remained on Jessie's face. "Look, this is my daughter, Jessie, and she's not sixteen yet so…"

"No," Claire cried, gripping tight around Jessie now.

"She stays with us until she turns eighteen."

"What?" Claire gasped, staring at her father. "What are you saying, Daddy?"

"I'm saying," Jimmy started with a sigh, "you can be with Jessie, but the dates end at a proper time, and you remain under our roof so that your mother doesn't have a heart attack."

Claire's smile lit her entire face. "Really?"

"Yes, really. Now, can we please go home? And," he added, as he escorted his daughter to the door, "we are definitely having a chat about this whole hunting situation, understand?"

"Yes, Daddy."

Jessie turned in the doorway to face the awed brothers and angel who simply stood there in wide-eyed shock. "If you ever need a hand, you can just… call."

The door closed behind the oddest conclusion in the history of all the hunts the brothers had been on. "Call him?" Dean repeated.

"That's all _I_ did," Balthazar admitted with a shrug. "I never would've thought the anti-Christ would be so… what just happened?"

"No idea, man," Dean admitted. "I think the anti-Christ just had a man-to-man chat with Cas's vessel."

"Right, right. Nope, not strange at all," Balthazar quipped. "Well, I better be off. You two have a lovely night!"

Dean and Sam exchanged looks before saying together, "Holy crap!"

A silence fell, but Sam's eyes were focussed on Dean now. "I hate to say this, dude, but… I think you owe Cas an apology."

Dean bowed his head. "Crap," he muttered.

"You know what? I'll just slip outside, maybe take a run or something while you two… figure it out." Sam left the house and Dean watched as he sprinted past the Impala.

"Dork," he murmured under his breath.

After contemplating what he might want to say, he tilted his head and closed his eyes. "Cas, come down here a sec, okay?" He received no answer. "Cas," he called again. "You were right, I'm an idiot!"

A rush of wings made his heart leap and he spun around to see her there. "Yes… you are," she agreed, eyeing him beneath her thick lashes, "but even I did not expect Jessie to show up. I too thought this kidnapping was all because of the infinite soul."

"

Weirdest hunt ever, man! And now we can just call Jessie—like we're friggin besties or something. Jesus!"

"I would have come had you needed me," she murmured, casting her eyes down in shame. I was just acting as comfort for Jimmy's wife, but I did listen in. Unfortunately, there was nothing left to do but wait."

"Jessie's a hunter, Cas. Tell me you caught that," Dean said anxiously.

"I did… catch that, Dean" she admitted. "He will be an extraordinary one, possibly better than both you and Sam."

"Thanks," he muttered, "Got anymore insults stored away? Wanna strike below the belt this time?"

Castiel's arms relaxed to her sides. "Apparently, I'm a bitch."

"Oh?"

"Jimmy's wife was not expecting me and she was not happy to see me standing at her door. Several of her thoughts indicated that I've acted like a bitch for years towards her and her husband, so why did I care now?"

"Cas…" Dean started, but she cut in.

"I apologize… and not just for today, but for all the times I put you in a difficult and highly unethical situation that was… for lack of a better word… unfair. I thought I understood humans, but I am still as clueless as I was two thousand years ago."

Dean approached the sad angel, staring down at her wringing hands. "You're putting a lot of pressure on yourself you know that," he pointed out, pressing a hand over hers. "You're not supposed to know it all. There's God for that. You are an archangel, a soldier, a believer in the greater purpose, and I might hate it, I might even fight about it, but that's who you are. You are obviously not the only one who's been… unfair here. I have had you cornered so many times! I have asked you for things that are impossible, that are against everything you were taught! I pushed you to believe in free will and choice to the point where you fought for it but when you needed me to have faith, I turned on you."

"Dean, don't…"

"The point is, Cas" he interrupted, "we are both guilty of expecting and asking too much of each other."

Castiel lifted a finger to her eyes. "This vessel is absolutely frustrating. Jimmy never cried this much."

"Cas?" Dean choked, watching as silver tears slipped down those soft cheeks.

"I'm sorry, Dean, this just… keeps happening. I thought I could control it, but… apparently this vessel is out of my hands."

"I can tell," Dean commented, trying to force a smile.

"How does anyone stand it? Every few minutes, I am forced to clean myself up."

Without a word of response, and courage to allow Castiel into his personal space, Dean hugged the frustrated angel. Castiel's tense new body relaxed as her arms reacted in kind. Dean closed his eyes, pressing a hand to her hair gently. "Sometimes this kind of thing helps," he admitted.

"Oh," she replied, her warm breath travelling across his neck. "Thank you, Dean."

"No problem, Cas."

Castiel finally eased herself back, biting her bottom lip as she gazed at the hunter. "I know that you will not let me erase your memories, but even though I do love you, I will step aside for you to find happiness here. If you are happy, then I am happy."

"You can't say stuff like that to me and expect me to find someone else," Dean argued.

"I don't understand," she muttered.

"Of course you don't," he sighed, surprised that he wasn't in a hurry to completely separate from her. They were closer, about as close as they had been three months ago when they stood next to his car—before the kiss occurred, the one that he still could not stop thinking about. In a breathy voice, he made his reluctance known, "I'm all for fireworks, Cas, but I really don't wanna have to explain to Bobby how all his windows exploded."

She blushed to this and shifted back a few steps, leaving his personal space a little too empty. "Of course," she choked, "I apologize, Dean. How is she, your beloved Impala?"

"She's recovering nicely. Our relationship is a little rocky, but the more I do for her the better it gets."

Castiel rolled her eyes. "I see. Well, the best relationships can endure the worst hardships I suppose."

Dean agreed, but he was silent as he found that he couldn't stop staring at her. He had to assume it was the female vessel, but then he had kissed Castiel in his male vessel—three times, and two of them were provoked by him. He had to admit that the angel could really kiss. She reached her hand down to grasp his and he responded by closing his fingers around hers. He felt the undeniable beginnings of a smile—a real smile, one he hadn't felt since he was a carefree kid, aiming his first homemade gun at a line of bottles and picking them off one by one. He squeezed her fingers taken in by a shock of warmth when she squeezed back. He leaned his head back and abruptly straightened to the sight just outside Bobby's kitchen window. "What the hell is Balthazar doing here?"

They released each other's hands at the same time, but as she turned to head for the exit, he caught a glimpse of a smile. He was surprised by the reaction of his heart that was suddenly vibrating with intensity throughout his entire body. He paused by the door and she stopped to gaze over her shoulder at him. "Dean?" she called.

"Yeah," he breathed, thrown a little by the softness in her voice.

"Are you… okay?"

He nodded, but the truth was, he wasn't sure what he was at that moment. In the kitchen with her, he experienced a moment of real happiness. He was warm and tingling everywhere. With a laugh, he managed a whole-hearted reply. "I'm awesome, Cas."

He would have taken her hand right then, but she was cutting across the salvage yard toward Balthazar with such fury in her steps that he was sure the rocks would burn to ash under her feet. The snarky angel smiled widely upon sight of her.

"Cassie," he cooed then faced Dean, who came up behind her with a strut of pride in his walk. "Dean. Have you two… kissed and made up yet?"

Castiel grabbed his earlobe, taking the angel by complete surprise, "What is wrong with you? You cannot pursue…" she stopped to let the emotions subside before letting go of his ear. "You leave him alone, do you understand?" she hissed under her breath.

"I do not appreciate you rooting around in my head, Cassie," Balthazar snapped, eyeing her.

"Leave him alone, Balthazar or there will be trouble!"

"Leave who alone?" Dean asked, looking from one angel to the other.

"Where's Sammy?" Balthazar asked, dawning a particularly mischievous grin.

"He went for a run," Dean replied. "Why?"

"No reason, just… curious. While I wait for mister Sunshine to come back, I have some questions for the two of you."

"Balthazar," Castiel scolded, releasing his ear to shake her head at him.

"You know, Cassie, I really like this new vessel you've chosen for yourself. I don't much like the new… mood swings, but there's bound to be some bugs, right?" He swept his gaze over Dean's face and laughed, "I can see that Dean likes it, too, from the way he keeps ogling you. You should stick with this one. Trust me, you could have anything you want; all you would have to do is show that stunning rack and all men would be putty in your hands. It's a win-win, honey."

Castiel's voice was unsteady. "Perhaps… you are right, Balthazar. Jimmy will be pleased that I have extended his leave."

Dean crossed to the angel, his voice falling to a concerned whisper. "I'm not gonna argue with Balthazar or anythin' here, but… you've been having constant problems with this vessel, Cas. This one is a little more out of your control, remember?"

"Yes, but perhaps I just need time to… become accustomed to it."

"You don't have to listen to Balthazar, you know," Dean pressed.

"I am doing this for Jimmy, although sometimes… I might… what's the phrase? Change it up… a bit?" Her eyes landed on his face, revealing her own brand of mild seduction.

Dean laughed. "Just try to keep it between these two then, and whatever you do—no child vessels. I can't begin to tell you how disturbing that would be, a definite deal breaker."

"Understood," murmured the smiling Castiel.

Belthazar's eyes were slitted in curiosity. "Strange relationship," he murmured. "I don't understand it."

Sam arrived after what felt like a marathon run to find that Dean and Castiel had definitely mended fences. Sam never imagined his brother could look so content but then he never really had reason to. There was never a moment when their lives were not threatened by something, that they were not giving up something for the bigger picture—whatever that happened to be. Dean had been damned, tortured, brought back, and tortured some more so ever since his bout in the pit, Dean, though extremely resilient, was not happy. Sam was almost sure he could never be happy. However, as he approached his brother, Castiel and Balthazar, he realized that Dean's suffering had been significantly diminished. He was still a hunter, and he would still carry all the scars Hell had imposed on him, but the suffering was significantly lighter in weight than it had been. The invasion of personal space was no longer an issue as the angel stood inches from Dean, arms folded across her chest loosely. They were so close that her elbow literally brushed Dean's jacket.

"I came back just in time," he announced, breaking into a sprint towards them all.

Balthazar's voice hit a high pitch as he stalked over to Sam. "There you are! I've been waiting for you!"

Sam was about to ask why when the angel grabbed and kissed him without any warning. Sam let out a grunt of shock once the angel had abruptly released him.

"That was not as good as I thought it would be," Balthazar admitted in disappointment. He looked over at Castiel reproachfully. "You made it look so good at the cathedral, Cassie. What am I missing, here?"

Sam simply stood there in complete confusion, mouth closed tight to prevent another unsuspecting kiss.

"I don't know, Balthazar. Sam's a catch," Castiel said, peering over at Sam with a small smile. He blushed bright red from the compliment.

"Thanks Cas," he mumbled.

"You're welcome, Sam."

"Maybe I need an incredible rack like my bestie, here, hey, Sam? What do you think? Boobs up and out attract you?" Balthazar asked only to receive a disturbed and uneasy stare from Sam.

"Leave him alone," Castiel ordered.

"Maybe you need to get a girlfriend, Balthazar," Sam remarked.

"Or a boyfriend," Belthazar added, eyeing the cringing hunter now, and sending him a wink. "Come on, once you have had a slice of this angel food cake, you can never go back!"

Balthazar did eventually leave, but not before attempting to kiss Sam two times more. Sam was able to ward him off both times, even resorting to threats the second time. "Fiesty! I like it," Balthazar admitted, poking Sam in the chest. "You're adorable."

In a rush of wings, he was gone, leaving just Sam, Dean and Castiel. "So is this change… permanent, Cas?" Sam asked, forcing his eyes to remain on her face. She really did have an incredible rack.

"No, Sam, but I have decided that, in order for Jimmy to spend more time with his family, I will alternate between the two vessels."

Sam nodded, bringing his eyes to Dean's face. "Dean?"

Dean nodded, but there was a dazed look in his eyes. "Yeah, man, I'm good."

Sam studied his brother a little longer before declaring that he was going to go inside.

Dean's eyes cleared instantly. "Good, man, and have a shower. You stink."

"Jerk!"

"Bitch!"


End file.
